#2 Reasons to love HIMYM

Ok, I just found out that following last week's episode, "Not a Father's Day," there is actually a website dedicated to the celebration of not being a father founded by playboy character Barney (Neil Patrick Harris).

http://foxshop.seenon.com/index.php?v=foxshop-notafathersday

Enjoy!

Last year to coincide with an story about a slap bet, there was a countdown until the slap bet expired.

People need to just watch and enjoy this brilliance, esp because of Neil Patrick Harris.

His best Barney moments:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVUekHmY87M

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KDwZsaWb6pY

Not to pimp something I love, but the best part of the show, Barney actually falling for Robin:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m30suazBz1Y

I know the show didn't intend to stumble on the Barney/Robin goldmine, but it will be exciting to see in future seasons how they capatalize on the romance.

Guilty Pleasure Movies

Since the flu season is upon us, mono is upon me, and we are in store for some serious rainy and snowy days, this is the perfect time to snuggle up with some guilty pleasures. Whether its a book or movies or TV shows, we all have our little addictions that keep up staying inside on these frigid days.

My book guilty pleasures: It doesn't get more guilty than the Twilight series. With the movie coming out friday, I'm brushing up this week with the original. I came upon these book over the summer before the final installment was released and read all four in a week and a half. They are so cheesy, the writing can be laughable at times, but it is like my literary crack. What makes the experience even better is that it is a cultural phenomenon and I have atleast six people I can name off the top of my head who are just as obsessed as me to talk about it with, including my mother, who I got into the books despite her hating sci-fi genres. This is also a women who devours every Danielle Steel book ever made so I knew it was right up her alley.

Other literary guilty pleasures: Valley of the Dolls, one of my favorite books that I will defend against anyone who only knows about the cheestastic flick. I also love celeb autobiographies. Sure they are slanted, and who knows if we are getting the real story, but I love them. Tori Spelling's book rocked my world because of my 90210 obsession. I really want to read Maureen McCormic's book cause I just really want to know about Marcia Brady being a cokehead. And on my list of books to read asap is comedian Chelsea Handler's best selling book, Are you there vodka? It's me Chelsea. With a title like that, how could a pop culture addict stay away?

When it comes to flicks, I like classic cheesy movies. Now I'm not talking about flicks like Ghost or Steel Magnolias or Batman or Clueless. I've seen these on lists before, and I wear these movies as a badge of honor of films I could watch again and again.

For me, I'm thinking things I'm ashamed to say I like. Think Grease 2. I still know all the words to the songs like Cool Rider and Reproduction. Or Wayne's World. Or Tommy Boy. Others like Clue, Naked Gun, Hot Shots Part Deux, and most Police Academy Movies.

Where have all the sitcoms gone?

It's crazy for me to think that ten years ago Seinfeld ended its run as arguably the best sitcom ever. At the time, there was still Friends, Frasier, Everybody Loves Raymond, and a slew of other comedies waiting to take the best comedy title. There was also a unique show called Ally McBeal, an hour dramedy that competed in the comedy category in awards shows, that didn't have a laugh track, used dramatic elements but also zany and inventive comedic stunts. It was something new that producers latched onto.

The only widely successful sitcom I can think of that has happened in the years since is Will and Grace. CBS is the only network that still even produces sitcoms. They have been lucky to find solid ratings with Two and a Half Men, but there is no real breakout sitcoms anymore.

When I think of the funniest shows around in the past few years my mind goes to Arrested Development, 30 Rock, The Office, Weeds, even Desperate Housewives.

Is it a change in our generation, the way we view comedy and what we find realistic? Are things like a laugh track and blatant sets too dated for our attention? Or is it just that sitcoms are tired and boring, stale, generic?

I plead my case for what I feel is the last great sitcom still on TV: How I Met Your Mother. It has a very Friends like quality to it, is witty and sharp, and a sitcom. The show doesn't get the buzz or ratings it deserves despite starring Jason Segal of this years hit, Forgetting Sarah Marshall. It also got attention this year for having Britney Spears guest star as a ditzy assistant. The cast and couples have great chemistry, the stories tie in with solid continuity, and it is actually funny.

I implore you readers to give this little show a chance.

Things you learn from Daytime TV

While I have been sick with mono this past week, I was forced to pretty much do nothing but watch TV. Besides my soaps, I found myself at a loss for what to watch to keep me entertained. I also learned some interesting things from channel surfing:

There is this amazing invention called the Ped Egg. I found myself not only intrigued by this invention but wanting to try it.

Tyra Bank's show never fails to amaze me. On Monday's episode, she had people from the website Ashleymadison.com, where people in committed relationships or marriages go online to find affairs, their spouses none the wiser.

All My Children has a healthy lesbian relationship where the two characters share a daughter, are getting engaged, and are kissing and being lovey dovey. It is amazing the progression in the past few years since the first same sex kiss in 2004.

Jerry Springer's ex bodygaurd who would bust up the fights now has his own talk show, The Steve Wilkos Show. Maybe there is hope for Sarah Palin's talk show yet.

The West Wing really was one of the best shows that ever was on television. Even in its later seasons without show runner Aaron Sorkin, it was still better than 90% of whatever else is on now. Bravo showed the last season with the Presidential election with Santos, who seems very Obama like, it led me to draw some interesting comparisons.

Fox News anchors seem to be grasping at things to pre-emptively complain about Obama's future mistakes.

Jumping the Shark

There comes a time on every good show where they have that moment. The moment where fans and critics alike cringe, and think, yikes what has happened to this show? My moment came this week with Grey's Anatomy.

I have put up with this show through a lot. Through the behind the scenes drama, the recent abrupt firing of Brooke Smith after the mishandled lesbian romance of Callie and Erica, the stupid Meredith dies by drowning and comes back to life, the horrible mistake known as Gizzie. Yet, I remained watching. Finally, I was starting to love Grey's again. They were actually going forward with the romance of Meredith and Derek, having both characters actually grow and adapt into an adult relationship. Cristina was ready to move on from Burke to hot army doc, Lexie was finally coming into her own character and out of big sis's shadow, and the show was portraying Alex's deep seeded issues as he tried to grow up and jump head first with a girl he's been in love with since the beginning of the show.

Which brings me to Izzie Stevens. This character has caused me great frustration for the past couple years. I don't know if the producers are doing this storyline to give Katherine Heigl some good material for a second Emmy, or if it is punishment, or an exit storyline if she is in fact leaving come spring. Whatever the reason, viewers are now being tortured with the return of Denny. Now, Jeffrey Dean Morgan is charming, and I liked the character enough the first time around. But he died, over two seasons ago! We had Izzie mourn, move on to George, and now to Alex. The fans seem to be really behind this Alex/Izzie pairing, but let's insert Denny into it again, stalling it where Alex is now competing for her affection with a dead guy. The guy just put his old girlfriend in a mental hospital, he hasn't dealt with enough crazy?

This other worldly romance might work if this show wasn't about science and supposed to be grounded in reality. If I wanted this kind of love story, I can pop in Ghost. When Denny first started appearing, I thought well maybe this is finally closure. Yet he keeps appearing even after there were two scenes that would have been perfect end notes on the character. But no, we have to go all "Izzie, touch me." And, she can?! Oh, and they kiss, and in the previews, they are having sex. I don't understand any way the show is going to explain this other than Izzie has a brain tumor which is making her "see" Denny (which General Hospital did earlier this year) or she is headed for a major psychological collapse. One of those things better happen, or I will quit this show.

Jumping the shark doesn't mean the end of a show. Many go on for more seasons to good ratings even after the moment happens. Some shows like Lost, are good enough that they can come back from these moments and bounce back into creative strides, while most aren't able to ever recover. Grey's is still a ratings success and will be around for at least a few more years, but its credibility as a top drama still is up in the air.

Essential Halloween movies

Since last night was Halloween, hopefully everyone got candy, dressed up, and good and drunk. I spent the day lying in bed watching my movies before getting ready to dress up as Cinderella. When I came home I finished my movie watching and decided to list some of what I think are the best scary movies to watch on Halloween.

1) Halloween- It is the quintessential Halloween movie since it is one of the most popular slasher flicks that hello! takes place on the holiday. It's a classic for a reason-has all the horror movie staples: topless women, people who have sex dying, Jamie Lee Curtis, and a crazy killer with no real rhyme or reason to his killings. The film still holds up with scaring you and tension, mostly due to the score. The sequels all sucked, with possible exception being H20, for tying up loose ends and bring Jamie Lee Curtis back.

2) The Exorcist- Almost all adults over thirty and people with good cinematic tastes will tell you this is the best horror movie ever made. Watching it now, there are still parts, especially in the climax, that freak me out. Linda Blair turns in a expectational creepy performance with a couple scenes still burned in my mind. I never saw any of the sequels, but this should have always been a stand alone flick.

3) Scream- This is my all time favorite scary movie. I love the series, it ended perfectly with a trilogy where the story came together. Sidney Prescott is the best horror movie heroine since Laurie Strode, and I'd say she is better because she fought back and outsmarted the killer. The series never really lost it's ground, but nothing beats the first one. That opening scene with Drew Barrymore and the conversation is such a scary scene in that it is sort of realistic. I still get chills when Drew is trying to get out of the house and sees the killer running in the hallway. Scream actually gave us a killer with motive, ones who were human and would die when they were shot. The series also started off the new slasher pics of the late 90's. It also helped Dimension establish themselves as promising film company.

4) Hocus Pocus- Who said Halloween movies have to be scary? You can have a nice family movie about witches and teens and a young Thora Birch. The movie has some adult humor in it for the parentals, mainly provided by our three witches: Bette Midler as the ringleader, a pre-Carrie Bradshaw, Sarah Jessica Parker, and comic relief Kathy Najimy. Maybe I love it because I remember seeing it in theaters as a child, and it holds up because of nostalgia.

5) A Nightmare on Elm Street- Freddy Krueger is my favorite of the 80's slasher series character. Jason just walks around with a hockey mask. Michael Meyers just walks fast and is human yet unkillable. Never saw Pinhead or Candyman. Freddy gets to talk, uses humor when he's on his way to kill people. He has personality, which is why most Freddy fans root for him in the series. Watching this one all the years later, it's not that scary, but I remember how scared I was as a kid especially because of the premise that he would get you in your dreams. Pretty ingenious. The scene where an sleep deprived Nancy dozes off in the tub and wakes up with a tub of blood, still gives me a chill. Plus, it's the beginning of Johnny Depp's career!

6) Carrie- I think every high schooler needs to watch this movie. Maybe if we could all understand and empathize with the pain of our tortured heroine Carrie, we could all be a little more accepting of the outcasts in our schools. Or at least be warned that karma will get you and the outcast may end up exacting her revenge at the prom after you dump pigs blood on her. I think besides the horror of Carrie when she turns or her awfully creepy mother (played to perfection by Piper Laurie), this movie brings the heebie geebies. Plus there is a young John Travolta and a big haired Amy Irving. It also has complexity to the terror Carrie exacts, because she was really just a victim of her environment and powers beyond her control. The words "They are all gonna laugh at you!" have to hurt anyone who ever felt left out growing up.

7) Friday the 13th- What produces probably the most sequels for any horror movie, this series did get worse and worse, sillier and pitiful as they went on. The first one still holds some chills, as is the pattern with these. Jason doesn't even appear in this one but no matter, we get his creepy mom Mrs. Voohres, who even kills a young Kevin Bacon by slitting his throat from under the bed.

8) Saw- I have to admit, I'm not a big fan of these movies. The first one was pretty inventive. You got the kind of killer who had a reason for his crimes, more than just revenge. It was a sadistic and twisted reasoning, but the killer is trying to do something good. The series has captured the attention of my generation and started off the whole torture porn genre, which seems to finally be on the way out. The Saw films do benefit that they actually have a fulfilled storyline that continues through each movie, and hopefully wraps itself up before we get to a tenth film.

9) The Shining- Let me preface by saying I love Jack Nicholson. Love him, adore him, think he is one of the most charismatic actors ever. Everyone I know thinks of Jack as a good actor, but creepy. This movie is a huge reason why. I can refute it, but whenever I actually watch this, I have to agree. He still has his sexy charm, but between him chasing his family, the naked old woman, and the redrum twins, this is a freaky flick.

10) It- Nothing is scarier than a clown. Well expect for Chucky, but that is a childhood fear. The opening scene with Pennywise still freaks me out. The rest of the movie does not hold up once you are over ten years old. However, it is pretty funny to watch and laugh at, especially at the end when the clown turns into a big bug. I don't think Stephen King wanted it to look as laughable as it turned out.